The Second Workshop on the Caucasus Environmental Outlook
Every year since 2002, World Science Day for Peace and Development is observed on November 10. The year 2021 marks the 20th edition of World Science Day for Peace and Development. With climate change becoming a serious threat to the lives of billions of people and the planet, this year’s celebration will highlight the importance of “Building Climate-Ready Communities”. The objective is to bring science closer to society by highlighting some key scientific aspects and possible solutions provided by science, technology, and innovation to some of the major global challenges society is facing today.
One of the purposes of the day is to promote national and international solidarity for shared science between countries and renew national and international commitment for the use of science for the benefit of societies, therefore, we're excited to say that today on 10th of November when the world celebrates the International Science Day, the second workshop on the Caucasus Environmental Outlook has taken place with the participation of national and international scientists and practitioners from around the world.
The Caucasus Environmental Outlook, to be published in 2022, will be a state-of-the-art report on the environmental status and trends of the Caucasus mountain region, which encompasses parts of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Russia, and Turkey. It will outline existing and emerging environmental and climate change-related issues and highlight important socio-economic drivers of environmental change in the region.
At today's workshop participants reviewed and assessed the progress so far, challenges, and information gaps that authors are facing by working on each chapter of the Caucasus Environmental Outlook with contributions from SC, GRID-A, UNEP/GRID -GENEVA and discussed its status quo of development, new deadlines, and way forward.
Caucasus Environmental Outlook is part of the project Strengthening Adaptive Capacity in the Caucasus, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), which aims to enhance regional cooperative action for the benefit of the Caucasus mountain region. It builds on regional scientific cooperation developed and implemented since 2014 under the umbrella of the Scientific Network for the Caucasus Mountain Region (Its secretary Sustainable Caucasus), which brings together institutions from all six Caucasus countries.
GRID-Arendal is developing the report together with project partners as UNEP/GRID-Geneva, UN Environment Program, University of Geneva, and national experts with their specific roles in the process, using new data and advances in the field of spatial mapping.
The Caucasus Environmental Outlook will enable policymakers, international organizations, academia, and the broader public to better understand environmental challenges and opportunities as the region works to build a sustainable future. The project will also identify opportunities for transboundary and regional environmental cooperation and aim to foster regional dialogue in a challenging geopolitical climate by mobilizing scientific knowledge in support of sustainable mountain development.
At the end of the meeting, the participants were cordially invited to attend the 2021 edition of the UNEP/GRID-Geneva Science Day - From Data to Environmental Action, organized with the support of the Geneva Environment Network, on Wednesday 17 November 2021, from14:00 to 18:00 CET.
Happy World Science Day for Peace and Development!
